There are better options now than there has ever been. The Grass Root has both raw and cooked vegan food. I am not a fan of raw cuisine but their burgers are really good. My friend has taken raw food classes there and really liked them. They have events like wine and food parings and dessert tastings. Gluten free options are noted on the menu.

Trang Viet is a Vietnamese/Asian place near the University of South Tampa. Florida Voices for Animals has a monthly meeting there. It's vegan friendly but does serve meat as well.

If you decide to come to the right side of Tampa Bay, you will be in St Petersburg. . .

The Globe Coffee Lounge is owned by JoEllen, a local arts supporter and radio host. She has soy milk and vegan meal options. There are sometimes vegan baked goods like an amazing blueberry gingerbread.

Rollin' Oats is a locally owned HFS with a cafe/bakery. They have an amazing blackened tofu sandwich. You need to eat this.

Meze 119 is a new vegetarian middle eastern restaurant with vegan options. I ate there with a friend and the food was good but ask about dairy before you order.

Leafy Greens Cafe is a raw place. They are excited about raw food. Very excited. My friend who is into raw food thought it was great. I learned that I don't like chia seeds.

India Grill is newish and I've not been there yet but they have a separate vegetarian menu with vegan options marked.

Vida de Cafe is a raw food joint on St Pete Beach. I had their mini tacos and they were actually very good. No chia seeds.

9 Bangkok is a sushi/Thai place downtown. They have vegan veggie curries, vegan tofu rolls and other options.

There are more places that I've not mentioned, I'm sure.

Florida Voices for Animals is a local AR group. Talking Animals is an animal issue oriented radio show on WMNF 88.5fm community radio. They sponsor an animal festival in Tampa once a year with rescue groups and veg restaurants in attendance.

_________________A whole lot of access and privilege goes into being sanctimonious pricks J-DubDessert is currently a big bowl of sanctimonious, passive aggressive vegan enduced boak. FezzaYou people are way less funny than Pandacookie. Sucks to be you.-interrobang?!

I also want to add Gourmet Pizza Company in Tampa to that list. They have daiya cheese and gf crust (but it's quite expensive). I love their pizza and their salads. Downtown St. Pete has burrito boarder which is a chipotle knockoff with good vegan options and is open late. I order lunch often from a cafe called Spice Routes inside the Unity Church on 4th St. in St. Pete. Their menu changes daily and they have some good dishes like coconut curry beans and their african nut stew. I also must say that Rolling Oats is one of my favorites; I reccomend the smoked tofu sandwich, vegan sandwich, tofu breakfast burrito and the biscuits, chocolate cheesecake and the angela's vegan sweethearts.Lettuce Eat Healthy is very good and on the weekends they station at a good beer bar on weekend nights. I LOVE India Grill. I am a fan of the aloo mattar and the vegetable curry. Mellow Mushroom's tempeh sandwich is a craving I often have, but they are a little far from me to eat regularly.

I should add that Whole Foods also has MimicCreme and is the only store in the Tampa metro area to stock it. They have the regular cream, coffee cream and also the whipped cream base.

Rollin Oats has a nice selection of vegan muffins and desserts every day as well.

That Whole Foods is filled to the rim with South Tampa. I feel desperately poor every time I go in there but they also have Sweet and Sara marshmallows and vegan donuts.

_________________A whole lot of access and privilege goes into being sanctimonious pricks J-DubDessert is currently a big bowl of sanctimonious, passive aggressive vegan enduced boak. FezzaYou people are way less funny than Pandacookie. Sucks to be you.-interrobang?!

Other veggie places to eat: Taco Bus in Tampa and St. Pete (they serve meat but have tons of vegan options. Be sure you ask for everything without cheese, even the beans)Taste Cafe in Safety Harbor (several vegan options, but identify yourself as such when you arrive. They go out of their way to give me options)

Taco Bus! I forgot about that! They have tempeh, "steak strips" that are vegan, beans and a squash tostada.

_________________A whole lot of access and privilege goes into being sanctimonious pricks J-DubDessert is currently a big bowl of sanctimonious, passive aggressive vegan enduced boak. FezzaYou people are way less funny than Pandacookie. Sucks to be you.-interrobang?!

I went to Rollin Oats today. It appears they now carry MimicCream coffee creamer and the Healthy Whip on a regular basis.

As for Taco Bus, I have thought of trying that squash tostada, but I am very seldom in that part of St. Petersburg. I live all the way in the north end of the city, so there is very little reason for me to go downtown.

But, but, but...everything is downtown! The north part of the city has...Feathersound and Target. You need to move closer to downtown!

_________________A whole lot of access and privilege goes into being sanctimonious pricks J-DubDessert is currently a big bowl of sanctimonious, passive aggressive vegan enduced boak. FezzaYou people are way less funny than Pandacookie. Sucks to be you.-interrobang?!

Someone from the local Tampa Bay Veg*n Meetup group loves that squash taco.

_________________A whole lot of access and privilege goes into being sanctimonious pricks J-DubDessert is currently a big bowl of sanctimonious, passive aggressive vegan enduced boak. FezzaYou people are way less funny than Pandacookie. Sucks to be you.-interrobang?!

But, but, but...everything is downtown! The north part of the city has...Feathersound and Target. You need to move closer to downtown!

Acutally the worst thing about North St. Pete is that there isn't anywhere safe to bike or blade or even run. Personally I would like to live closer to the Pinellas Trail. There is a spur headed our way, but it won't be here for a decade.

New vegan/vegetarian restaurant in downtown St. Petersburg per St. Petersburg Times. It is called Meze 119 and has middle eastern cusine. They have a quite a few vegan options, including a stuffed acorn squash with Morrocan CousCous (photo from facebook http://www.facebook.com/MEZE119?sk=phot ... =1&theater) that looks quite good. So far on Yelp they have 4 and 5 star reviews.

New vegan/vegetarian restaurant in downtown St. Petersburg per St. Petersburg Times. It is called Meze 119 and has middle eastern cusine. They have a quite a few vegan options, including a stuffed acorn squash with Morrocan CousCous (photo from facebook http://www.facebook.com/MEZE119?sk=phot ... =1&theater) that looks quite good. So far on Yelp they have 4 and 5 star reviews.

I wish they weren't so far and I wasn't so poor.

They are vegetarian and the food is really good. My recommendation is to ask about dairy before you order.

_________________A whole lot of access and privilege goes into being sanctimonious pricks J-DubDessert is currently a big bowl of sanctimonious, passive aggressive vegan enduced boak. FezzaYou people are way less funny than Pandacookie. Sucks to be you.-interrobang?!

Florida Voices for Animals has adopted Al Lopez park in Tampa. Four times a year they meet to clean up the park by removing trash, debris and invasive plants. The next clean up will take place on Sunday, Sept 18, 2011 from 10 a.m. - 12 noon.

_________________A whole lot of access and privilege goes into being sanctimonious pricks J-DubDessert is currently a big bowl of sanctimonious, passive aggressive vegan enduced boak. FezzaYou people are way less funny than Pandacookie. Sucks to be you.-interrobang?!

_________________A whole lot of access and privilege goes into being sanctimonious pricks J-DubDessert is currently a big bowl of sanctimonious, passive aggressive vegan enduced boak. FezzaYou people are way less funny than Pandacookie. Sucks to be you.-interrobang?!

Gene’s best-selling book will be available for purchase, andhe will be on hand to sign copies!

This talk is open to the public and will cost $20 with a portionof the proceeds benefitting Farm Sanctuary. Please register in advance. A light buffet and dessertswill be included after Gene’s remarks.

________________________________________________

Second Event:

What:“Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food,” a presentation by Gene Baur

When:Sunday, October 9, 2011; 6:30 p.m.

Where:Whole Foods Market1548 N. Dale Mabry Hwy.Tampa, FL 33607

This event is free and open to the public.

_________________A whole lot of access and privilege goes into being sanctimonious pricks J-DubDessert is currently a big bowl of sanctimonious, passive aggressive vegan enduced boak. FezzaYou people are way less funny than Pandacookie. Sucks to be you.-interrobang?!

I recently ate at MEZE 119 with 2 omni friends. The service was great and they have a nice beer selection. I ate a few of my friend's chickn nuggets, which were my favorite thing at the table. I had the moroccan carrot salad, which was a little too bland for me and the kefta, which was delicious. I will definitely be going back again and plan on trying either the shwarma or the moroccan bbbq chikn. A word to omni friends attending; my friend didn't really like the napolean. She said it was entirely too sweet, but loved her salad and the chikn nuggets.

Oh, also I went to Pizza fusion in downtown Tampa last night and had the delicious farmer's market pizza with soy cheese. I also had their vegan brownie, which was good but not great. If only there were some vegan pizza friendly places on the St. Pete side of the Bay...

I might go but I have a world drumming festival at my son's school to attend.

_________________A whole lot of access and privilege goes into being sanctimonious pricks J-DubDessert is currently a big bowl of sanctimonious, passive aggressive vegan enduced boak. FezzaYou people are way less funny than Pandacookie. Sucks to be you.-interrobang?!

I just got back from it. I was excited to have some mint chocolate chip ice cream and "cheese" pizza, also lots of cute dogs and free samples. I originally went to the place where it was held last year since I saw a bunch of tents there, but once I saw the sign for BBQ and beer and a stand for "pig bucks", I realized I was in the wrong place.

Lettuce Eat Health, a vegan food cart in St Pete,will be participating in a food truck rally today. It's part of an effort to get the laws changed so that food carts can appear on the right side of the bay! 5 guest trucks from Orlando will also be appearing! I have no idea who will be there but...you can have a vegan Philly sandwich or hot dog or Italian sausage from LEH!

11-3First Unity Church460 46th Ave. N, St. Petersburg FL 33703

_________________A whole lot of access and privilege goes into being sanctimonious pricks J-DubDessert is currently a big bowl of sanctimonious, passive aggressive vegan enduced boak. FezzaYou people are way less funny than Pandacookie. Sucks to be you.-interrobang?!